tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jan 06 07:46:53 2010

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RE: qoSwIj

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



Voragh:
>>> If you're not comfortable adding suffixes to a pronoun, use
>>> the verb {lop} "celebrate":
>>>
>>>   DaHjaj qoSwIj vIlopbejqu'!!!

Seruq/DloraH:
>>Or we can get rid of the "to be".
>>  DaHjaj qaS qoSwIj.
>>And then you COULD emphasis with -'e', or use the verb suffixes you
>>listed above.

Voragh:
>I considered {qaS} too.  Do birthdays just "occur, happen" in Klingon?
>We've no idea how to talk about birthdays as Okrand has never used {qoS}
>in a Klingon sentence - or, for that matter, the nouns {yupma'},
>{lopno'}, {lop}, or {QI'lop}.  (Can anyone think of any other
>festival/party-like occasions or holidays I can look up in my notes?)
>
>In his English comments Okrand has mentioned "celebrating" a {lopno'} and
>the Kot'baval Festival {yupma'}.  We know that Klingons {lop} "observe,
>celebrate (a ritual)" the {Heghtay}:
>
>  Heghtay lulop latlh tlhInganpu'. Heghtay luloptaHvIS chaH
>   chaq bey SeQ lujach
>  other Klingons may perform a ceremonial howl or yell as
>   part of the Klingon death ritual. S31
>
>and the {nentay}:
>
>  nentay loptaHvIS tlhIngan potlh tlhIngan 'oy'naQ'e'
>  The Klingon Painstik is an important part of a Klingon's
>   Age of Ascension ceremony. S32

Thinking more about {qaS}, I see that one can say {qaS nenghep} "when the Age of Ascension occurs":

  qaSDI' nenghep, qa' patlh chu' chav tlhIngan SuvwI' 
  The Age of Ascension marks a new level of spiritual attainment
  by a Klingon warrior. S9 

however a {nenghep} can also be celebrated {lop}:

  'oy'naQ Dalo'be'chugh not nenghep lop puq 
  If you don't use the painstik, the child will never celebrate
  his Age of Ascension. TKW

So {qaS qoS} may well be perfectly normal in Klingon.  Although recurring, one's birthday is also a significant event in one's life - like the {nenghep} - although it could also be viewed as a celebration.


For review, the subject of {qaS} "occur, happen" can be a time of day ("night" {ram}):

  qaStaHvIS wa' ram loS SaD Hugh SIjlaH qetbogh loD 
  4,000 throats may be cut in one night by a running man. TKD

the question word "what?" {nuq}:

  qaStaH nuq jay' 
  What the #$%@ is happening? TKD 

  qaStaH nuq jay' 
  [What the hell is happening?] ST6 

  pa'Daq qaStaH nuq 
  What's happening over there? CK 

a period of time ("generation" {puq poH}):

  qaStaHvIS wej puq poHmey vav puqloDpu' puqloDpu'chaj je quvHa'moH
  vav quvHa'ghach 
  The dishonor of the father dishonors his sons and their sons for 
  three generations. TKW 

  qaStaHvIS wa'maH puq poHmey, wo'rIv betleH ghaj qorDu'Daj 
  Worf's bat'telh has been in his family for ten generations. S8 

a general "phenomenon, event, occurrence" {wanI'}:

  naDev qaS wanI' ramqu' 
  There's nothing happening here. TKD

  meH, naDev qaS wanI' ramqu' 
  Bridge, nothing happening here. ST3 

or a specific event:

  laS veghaS HIltonDaq <<Hov leng: yIjeSchu'>> qaSchoHmo',
  bIlopqu'meH HIlton yIghoS 
  Come celebrate the grand opening of "Star Trek: The Experience"
  at the Las Vegas Hilton. STX

[Hmm... the word order in the first clause seems to have been reversed (perhaps by whoever posted or emailed the announcement?).  I think it should read:

  ? laS veghaS HIltonDaq qaSchoHmo' <<Hov leng: yIjeSchu'>> ...

or am I mis-reading this?]
 

-- 
Voragh                          
Canon Master of the Klingons







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